26 Dec 2012

"It was disappointing" - Ex-LFC star blames Torres for Anfield exit...

Where do Liverpool players go when they leave Anfield? Stoke City, clearly! Ex-Reds at the Brittania Stadium include Jermain Pennant, Charlie Adam, Michael Owen, and Peter Crouch, and in an interview on Monday, Crouchie revealed that he still regrets leaving Anfield.

Speaking to Reporters ahead of this evening's game with Liverpool, Crouch - who scored 42 goals during his time at Anfield - argued that the Reds were 'one or two' players away from winning the league, and conceded that leaving the club was a 'huge wrench'. He added:

"It was disappointing [to leave Liverpool]. I don't think anyone ever wants to leave, but [Fernando] Torres was playing up front on his own and it was difficult for me to stake a claim.

"I thought if I sat on the bench at Liverpool, it could hinder my international chances. Obviously leaving Liverpool was a huge wrench but I look back on also the fact I had so many great memories there"


At one point during his time at Anfield, Crouch had scored or created 36 goals in 43 starts, which is a fantastic return, but for some reason, Rafa Benitez ignored this positive impact and regularly kept him on the bench, most notably for the Champions League final in 2007. At the time, Crouch was Liverpool's top scorer in the Champions League, which makes the snub even more inexplicable.

Despite that disappointment, Crouch insisted in another recent interview that he has a 'great deal of respect' for his former Boss. That said, the Stoke striker admits that Benitez was partly responsible for his barren spell at Liverpool by playing him in an unfamiliar role. Crouch argued:

"I don't have anything bad to say about him [Benitez], but at first, I think he played me a little bit deeper that I liked, and I had to get used to it, and he had to get used to me.

"It was very difficult at the start...I was playing a different role at times, but I just tried to work hard and do what the manager asked, but I think that was a bit naive really. As I got more comfortable at Liverpool, I became a bit more selfish in front of goal, and that's what I had to do.


I vehemently defended Crouch during his time at Liverpool, and I genuinely believe that if he'd started the Champions League final against Milan - along with Craig Bellamy - Liverpool would have six European Cups right now instead of five.

I still can't understand how Rafa could regularly leave on the bench a player who, in his first two seasons, scored or created a goal in 83% of starts.

Having been on the bench for the last three games, Crouch may not even feature against the Reds tonight, but Michael Owen is in the squad, and he's desperate to score against his former club. He told The Independent:

"It is a strange feeling really playing against your old club, especially one where you were for around 15 years. I have not been so happy playing against them since; I have never scored and not particularly enjoyed it."

Jaimie Kanwar


23 comments:

  1. I think Crouch got too much stick due to his height. He was a good player, who did a good job for us. I do see though that Torres was on fire, so if you were only picking one, Torres would come first. I like Crouchy, as a person and player. He seems pretty down to earth, and I wish him good luck.

    I`m not so keen on Owen. I do get football is there jobs, and he wanted trophies, but some of the things he said when he left seemed a little uneeded. If Man Utd were the only team looking at him, then I understand why he went there, but he must have known he would only be a sub, and that makes me think he lacks something.

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  2. i love both of them....but i dont understand y Owen would criticize Kop at times...now he is saying otherwise...weird...

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  3. whilst both being good players for lfc ,i have respect for crouch,i have none for owen

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  4. Torres was golden boot runner up, what did he expect?

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  5. And Fcuk Owen....what a scumbag.

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  6. crouch done well for liverpool, so did torres...owen let himself down..and the expected fans to forgive him....now he,s making a fool of himself getting passed around clubs...what a come down...retire mike your not even 50 per cent of what you were...

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  7. My memory may not be totally accurate but I think Rafa took some stick from the 'top four' managers for signing a 'basketball player'. At first I think Peter took longer than expected to register as a scoring forward. But the manager and Steve Gerrard supported him strongly and he came through that barren period and established himself as an England regular. It was a surprise to me when he was 'offloaded' when, effectively, Rafa proved his worth to the team.

    But we all know Crouchie is a very honest person and some of the TV interviews he gave, post match, would have been interpreted as criticism of Rafa - however mildly delivered. That, in my view, was the reason his Anfield career came abruptly to an end. A great pity indeed.

    As for Owen I will say nothing other than greed and selfishness ended his time at Liverpool. He just failed to understand how lucky he was.

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  8. That's our problem we have too many players that moan when they're on the bench. You can't play every game it's a long season with many games. Fergie takes no shite from his players who moan, I think Brendan is the right man who will do something similar.

    Saying that I have more respect for Crouch then I do Owen

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  9. Agree totally Jason....how Owen engineered his way out of the club left a SOUR TASTE i hope he plays today as he is garbage and has been for a long time

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  10. liked crouchy to be honest wouldnt mind him back aleast we would have a plan B. very honest lad remember when he was being interviewed was asked what would he be if he wasnt a fooballer .he repiled a virgin!! lol

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  11. and then had the cheek to beg us to sign him back for double the fee your right sour taste indeed

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  12. always liked the big man benitez IMO maximized crouch ability's through the variation with different players working off of crouch,he was a team weapon scored a few important ones,Michael Owen chose silverware over football, he may be able to tell himself he was successful but if you choose metal over football it defeats the purpose of the game lol, safe to say i lost a wee bit of respect for Michael Owen ,and yes crouch should of started in 2007

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  13. Crouch was a top player for us! Rafa the rotator too stubborn to realise

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  14. WE ARE NOW NO MORE THAN A JOKE CLUB WHO SHOULD SHUT UP

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  15. Every time we win we go on and on and on and truth is were SHIT

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  16. STEVE CLARK IS BETTER THAN RODGERS - FACT

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  17. Rodgers is not up to it

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  18. WE NEED TO SHUT UP - UNTIL WE ARE ANY GOOD - SAY 2020

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  19. Michael Owen never played for Liverpool FC. He's always played for Michael Owen inc. Wherever he went.

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  20. Crouch was/is vastly overrated. What everyone conveniently forgets is that he needed 50 chances to score one goal, he gave the ball away far too much and it took him 5 months to get his first goal for us.
    If he'd had the same faith shown in him as Andy Carroll had, he would have been gone after six months.

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  21. So you would have dropped Torres then? Or played Crouch on the wing? Or changed the whole formation to suit one player? You can only play 11 players Jamie. O would rather credit Rafa with getting some brilliant service out of a player who many thought was a joke.

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  22. Alot of credit to Crouch has to be given, at least he wanted to play football and not sit on the bench earning his crust. He could have stayed, he wasnt forced out.

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  23. Every team has to leave out Some1 in a final deebo I agree with you totally

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